Travel Health:Core Competencies

and Resources for Training

Charlotte Katzin, R.N., B.S.N.Nurse Manager, Allergy/Immunization Clinic

Certificate in Travel Health™

Objectives

• Describe five core competencies for pre-travel health providers

• List resources for training, orientation, and continuing education for the travel health provider

Who Provides Pre-Travel Consults?

• Professions & Practice Settings

• Qualities

• Training/Education

Competency

TNA definition•Knowledge of standards•Interpersonal and Communication Skills•Ethical Reasoning•Problem Solving & Decision Making•Listening ability, honesty, self-knowledge of strengths & weaknesses, positive self-regard, emotional intelligence, and openness to feedback.

ANA Position Statement

• Public’s right to expect competence• Competence is the shared responsibility

of the – profession– individual– professional organizations– credentialing entities – regulatory agencies – employers

Setting Standards

International Society of Travel MedicineCertificate of Knowledge examination

Setting Standards

Royal College of Nursing•Defines standards for:

– competent nurse,– experienced/proficient nurse, and – a senior practitioner/expert nurse

•Strong focus on the RN, but much of the information is equally applicable to other health care professionals, including MDs & pharmacists who provide travel health services.•Evidence of competency

Setting Standards

Public Health Agency of Canada14 Immunization Competencies Including:•How vaccines work•Storage & handling•Administration & preparation•Adverse events•Documentation•Special populations•Informed consent, informed refusal•Required, recommended, routine vaccine

Setting StandardsAmerican Travel Health Nurses Association (ATHNA)17 Standards. Competencies are developed from the standards.

•Assessment•Planning•Health Teaching and Health Promotion•Education•Evidence-Based Practice and Research•Evaluation

Travel health is more than administering vaccines,

…food & water precautions,

…insect precautions,

…animal bite avoidance,

…accommodations,

…mode of transportation,

…activities,

…and staying up to date.

Resources• CDC Yellow Book• CDC Travelers’ Health online • CDC Pink Book• WHO International Travel & Health• Shoreland – Travel Clinic Operations Guide• Healthmap.org• International Society for Infectious Diseases: ProMED-mail• International Assoc. for Medical Assistance to Travellers

(IAMAT) • Immunization Action Coalition

– IAC Express – Email News– Ask The Experts– Storage and Handling– Summary of Recommendations

Resources• ISTM

– Listserv– Journal of Travel Medicine– Global Travel Clinic Directory– Conferences and Courses

• ATHNA– Courses & Conferences list– What’s News– Member Directory– Standing Orders– Newsletter

Travel Medicine for Dummies

Thanks to Dr. David Smith and Dr. Jay Keystone, University of Toronto

•Don’t get hit [traffic accidents and assaults]•Don’t get bit [insects, animals, marine envenomation]•Don’t get lit [ alcohol and other drugs] •Don’t do “it” [sexual risk] •Don’t eat shit [gastro precautions]

Charlotte Katzin, RN, BSNNurse Manager, Allergy/Immunization ClinicUniversity Health ServicesThe University of Texas at Austin(512) 475-8330c.katzin@uhs.utexas.edu